Trolley-retrieving device.



PATENTED AUG. 1', 1905.

H. B. CLARKE, .TROLLEY ,RBTRIEVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION mm OUT. a1, 1so4.

3 SHEETS-SHEET; 2.

ANDREW B. uxmm on ENOIO-LIYNOGIAPNERS. Whammy u. c.

- PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905;

'H .B.GLARKE. TROLLBY RBTRIEVING'DEVIUR APPLICATION TILED OUT. 31, 1904.

s SHEETS-SHEET s.

ANDREW. B. GRAMAM 00., PNOIO-LIYHOGIAPNERS, WASHINGTON. u. c.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY B. CLARKE-OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.'

TROLLEY-RETRIEVING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filetl Oetoher 31, 1904. Serial No. 230,781.

50 all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known thatI, HENRY B. CLARKE, acitizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Retrieving Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trolley-retrieving devices, and has among its salient objects to provide a device which will automatically operate to stop the upward movement of a trolley-pole when the latter has become disengaged from the trolley-wire and to move the same into a position below said wire to prevent its becoming engaged with the overhead cross-wires and supports; to provide a trolley-retrieving device which is electrically controlled, the circuit for which is controlled by the trolley-pole, and in general toprovide a mechanism of the character referred to which is simple in construction and eflicient in operation.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is. an edge elevation of the operating mechanism with a wall of the casing removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism with a wall of the casing removed. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of said mechanism looking down into the casing, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electric circuit.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an outer casing or housing for the mechanism and may be of any desirable construction and material adapted to be mounted upon a car at any convenient point. Rotatably mounted within said casing upon suitable brackets or arms 2 is a drum or take-up member 3, upon which the trolley-cord 4 is wound, said drum being mounted upon a shaft 5, which carries at one end a pinion 6.

7 designates a combination band and gear wheel rotatably mounted upon a shaft 8, carried by the arm 9, above the end of the drumshaft in such position that the gear portion thereof has operative engagement with the pinion 6. A spring 10, mounted within said drum 3 and connected at one end with the shaft 5 and at its other end with the interior of the drum, operates to rotate said drum in a direction to wind up said trolley-cord, the tension of said spring being sufficient to keep said cord taut, at the same time permitting the hooked over a hook 25.

drum 3 and the wheel 7 to oscillate sufliciently to pay out and take up the cord in response to the varying movement of the trolley-pole.

11 designates an arm pivotally mounted upon the shaft 8 adjacent the wheel 7 and-earryingon its outer end a member 12, pivoted thereto at 13, said member having two upwardly-projecting arms 14: 15, to which, respectively, are attached the opposite ends of a brakeband 16, passing around the band portion of the wheel 7.

17 designates a solenoid pivotally mounted within the upper portion of the casing, as at 18, the core 19 of which is pivoted at its lower end to the end of the member 12. A spring 20, connected at its upper end to the member 12 and at its lower end to the casing 1,;operates to pull downwardly the said member 12 when the solenoid is denergized. The initial movement of said member 12 appliesthe brake-band 16 to the wheel 7, thereby causing the member 12, the arm 11, and the wheel 7 to be moved together under the tension of the spring 20 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which it engages a stop A. This movement rotates the drum in the direction to wind up the trolley-cord.

The winding "of the solenoids 17 connects with a pair of binding-posts 21 22, by means of which said solenoid is connected in a circuit including and controlled by the trolley. A cord 23 is attached to the member 12 adjacent the pivot 13 and. extends through the casing and is provided with a ring 24, adapted to be By this cord the conductor is enabled to draw the part 12 and the arm 11 into alinement with each other to release the brake-band and hold it released while replacing the trolley-pole upon the wire.

The circuitthrough the car is as usual, passing from the trolley-pole through the controller down through the driving mechanism to the ground, as shown in Fig. 3, the retrieving device being connected in shunt-circuit,

interrupted, the solenoid deenergized, and the core 19 and parts connected therewith are pulled downwardly by spring 20 .into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This downward movement applies the brake and rotates the wheel 7, which in turn revolves the drum 3 in a direction to wind up the trolley-cord, and thereby draw the trolley-pole downwardly to a position below the trolleywire, cross-wires, and overhead supports, and prevents the same from becoming entangled therewith with the consequent damage thereto.

While I have herein shown and described only one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that alterations and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not, therefore, limit the invention to the details of construction and arrangement herein shown and described, except in so far as such details are made the subject-matter of specific claims.

1 claim- 1. A trolley-retrieving device, comprising in combination a take-up member connected with the trolley-cord, a magnet connected in circuit with the trolley, and means connected with said take-up member and with the armature of said magnet for controlling the operation of the take-up mechanism, substantially as described.

2. A trolley-retrieving device, comprising in combination an automatic take-up mechanism connected with the trolley-oord, a solenoid connected with and controlling said take-up mechanism, electric-circuit connections in eluding said solenoid and controlled by said trolley, and means for actuating said take-up mechanism when released by said solenoid, substantially as described.

3. A trolley-retrieving device, comprising in combination a take-up drum for the trolley-cord, a brake-band lever and brake-band controlling the movement of said drum, a magnet operatively connected with said lever and holding the same in normal position, electric connections controlled by the trolley and including said magnet, and means for actuating said lever and said take-up drum when released by said magnet, substantially as described.

4. In a trolley-retrieving device, a springaetuated take-u p drum for the trolley-cord, a combination gear and band wheel intergeared with said drum, a brake-band lever pivoted adjacentsaid wheel and provided with a brakeband encircling the band portion of said wheel, a magnet operatively connected with said lever and holding the same in normal position, electric connections controlled by the trolley and including said magnet, and a spring adapted to actuate said lever and said take-up mechanism when released by said magnet, substantially as described.

HENRY B. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, FREDERICK C. GOODWIN. 

